The Consequences
by NobodyAtAll
Summary: Narcissa knows that Andromeda is pregnant, and she has been sworn to silence. But when their parents find out, it will effect the entire family.
1. Chapter 1

This just might be the worst day of her entire life, Narcissa Black had decided. One moment, she had been sitting in the Slytherin Common Room, chatting with Iphigenia Selwyn about their last trip to Hogsmeade; the next, Lucius Malfoy, the Slytherin prefect, was telling her that she was to report to Professor Dumbledore's office immediately, and that "she had better hurry."

The entire Common Room was immediately abuzz. Apparently, more people had heard the rumors circulating the past few weeks than she had realized. Narcissa had hurried across the castle as quickly as she could, with her stomach sinking. She trudged up the steps to the headmaster's office, and she could hear raised voices - unclearly at first, but more discernibly as she reached the door.

"And just how long did you intend to let this go on before informing anyone?" Her father's voice.

Her mother's voice chimed in, "Obviously people have begun to talk already!"

"Mum, please!" And that was Andromeda. Narcissa's suspicions were right, and that gave her no pleasure whatsoever.

"Well thank Merlin, _someone_ thought to send us an owl!

Narcissa finally pushed the door open fully and entered the room. Dumbledore's patient eyes immediately came to rest on her, as if he had known she'd been behind the door.

"Hello Mother. Father," she greeted her parents timidly. "What's going on?" Her family immediately went silent and turned toward her. "Hi Anny," she offered, her voice very small. Andromeda glared her response.

Their father was the first to speak. He smoothed his robes and drew himself up taller. "Enough of this. There'll be plenty of time to discuss it once we're home."

"Of course, since Andromeda is legally an adult, she is under no compulsion to go with you," Dumbledore pointed out gently.

"I beg your pardon?" their mother Druella gasped.

"Thank you, Professor," Andromeda said quietly, "But it's okay."

Cygnus Black crossed his arms and drew a calming breath. "If you would, Professor Dumbledore, we would prefer return home immediately via Floo. An elf can be sent to retrieve my daughters' belongings."

"Certainly, Cygnus. Floo powder is in the chalice on the mantle," Dumbledore said hospitably, gesturing toward the fireplace.

Druella wasted no time in marching to the fire and throwing in a handful of powder. Andromeda followed her without hesitation, and Narcissa glanced at her father only briefly before following at her sister's heels.

Narcissa stumbled through the fireplace and her mother caught her gently, steadying her. She coughed and dusted off her robes. "All right, Cissy?" her mother asked quietly, acknowledging her for the first time. Narcissa nodded, stepping away from the fireplace as she heard her father arriving behind her.

He came lurching through the flames, quickly finding his balance and righting himself. He dusted himself off and surveyed the room. For a long moment, he stared at his middle daughter's slightly swollen belly. His face grew even redder, and he looked up at Anny's eyes for only a moment before turning away with a scowl. "In all my years, I must admit I never expected this from any of my daughters. Still in school, and unmarried, and pregnant. And with some Muggle-born scum's child!" he bellowed. "Well, Andromeda? What have you got to say for yourself?" he growled, not even looking at her.

His daughter was shaking with emotion. Instead of answering him, she turned to face Narcissa with a deeply reddened face. "You just had to be a little snitch, didn't you?" Andromeda snarled at her little sister.

Narcissa blanched, and felt every eye in the room turn toward her. "I had nothing to do with it!" she retorted angrily.

Cygnus Black stepped toward his youngest. "You knew about this, Narcissa?" There was a subtle tremor in his voice, one that his daughters had learned to recognize as a telltale sign that he was about to lose control of his temper. Narcissa shook her head quickly, gulping, but before she could get any words out her father spoke again. "No? If you knew nothing about this, why would Andromeda believe _you_ told us?"

"I..." she stammered.

Her father inhaled sharply, raising his hands above his head in a gesture of fury. "Did we raise you to be like this?" he shouted, pacing away from both of them before rounding on them again. "A family of traitors? A pack of venomous, undignified delinquents? Have you _no_ sense of honor?"

Narcissa wanted to explain, and finally regained her ability to speak. "Daddy, I didn't mean..."

"_ENOUGH_." He regarded her with the same look he'd confer on the lowest, most repulsive mudblood, before turning away altogether.

Narcissa had never felt so guilty. She began to quietly sob, with her hands clapped over her mouth. Andromeda's face was bright red, and her glance toward Narcissa was vaguely contrite, but her expression toward her parents remained hard. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.

Cyngus paced an entire loop around the room before he clasped his hands behind his back and approached Andromeda again. "You were foolish to try to hide this from us, Anny," he growled. "Something could have been done before there was even the possibility of it becoming public knowledge. Still, for every ailment there is a remedy." He exchanged glances with Druella, who stood slightly behind him, grim and resolute. Their exchange was an obvious agreement. "Notwithstanding your reckless and vulgar behavior, which will have to be answered for, you may not be permanently ruined."

"You want me to get rid of it," Andromeda accused flatly.

Their father raised his eyebrows. "You _will_ get rid of it, and we will make damned sure that no one of importance is ever the wiser," he declared with finality. He turned again toward Druella, releasing a silent breath.

"No, father, I've already decided. I'm keeping the baby."

It was like someone sucked the air out of the room. Narcissa couldn't draw a breath. Their mother's mouth had fallen open. Cygnus's expression was the worst, though. His eyes were wide with disbelief, but also with fear. He turned very slowly, carefully, to look at his willful daughter as if he was suddenly seeing her with clear eyes. And what he was seeing devastated him.

"Narcissa," he said slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Andromeda, "Go to your room."

"Daddy -"

"Narcissa. _Now_."

She hesitated, afraid to leave her sister pitted against their parents, even as angry as she was at her. They still hadn't broken eye contact; Narcissa could swear none of them had even blinked. Andromeda finally glanced toward her out of the corner of her eye. "Go, Cissy."


	2. Chapter 2

Narcissa was curled up in an armchair facing the window. Outside, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was bright blue, with not a cloud in sight. The beautiful weather might have lifted her spirits, had she not spent the last four days alone in her room. No one had come in to tell her that Andromeda had left the house; of course, perhaps they thought she had heard for herself. After listening to several hours of shouting and wailing that day, Narcissa had heard Anny charge up the stairs, gather some things from her room, and storm out of the house. And since then, she'd heard her parents arguing, her mother weeping, she'd heard Bellatrix come home, rage around the house after hearing the news, and eventually stomp out again. That had been three days ago. Now Narcissa was starting to wonder if anyone in her family would ever look at her again, or if they intended to let her live out her life under house arrest.

Her breakfast tray sat untouched on the table next to her. Dobby had dutifully brought her three meals a day since her confinement began, but nothing he brought could tempt her to eat.

The bedroom door opened softly, and Narcissa's stomach jumped. Who had they sent to break the silence, she wondered.

She did not have to wait long to find out. The heavy footsteps of her father were unmistakeable. She heard him come toward where she sat, and halt near the coffee table. Narcissa turned to look up at him, and saw him surveying her untouched tray with a disapproving frown. His eyes shifted from the tray and came to rest on her.

A sob immediately rose in her throat. She bowed her head, hugging the pillow she held. "Daddy, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Cygnus's voice was quiet. "Come here, child."

She glanced up at him again with red eyes, and obeyed. She was prepared for the telling-off she was about to get. These few days alone had given her plenty of time to imagine what he would have to say to her once he actually spoke to her again.

Cygnus put his hands on her shoulders. "You look pale, Cissy. Have you not been eating?"

Narcissa bit her lip and shrugged.

Her father's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, that won't do." He tipped her chin up to look at him. "We can't have you wasting away."

He didn't smile, but his expression was reassuring. She nodded, and he dropped his hands to his sides.

The silence was too much for her to bear. She began to cry again, knowing full well that her father would be patient but unmoved by her display of emotion. He stood with his hands clasped, waiting her out. "Dad," she finally croaked. "Please believe me... I didn't know. I swear I didn't know." She looked up to gauge his reaction, and found him very stern. Narcissa suppressed another sob and continued. "She told me she was pregnant, but made me promise not to tell anyone, not even Bella. And I told her right away that she ought to get engaged to the father because it was the only proper thing to do and she said..." Narcissa paused to choke back another sob, "...she said she _wasn't sure who the father was_."

Her face was flushed with vicarious mortification. She could hardly believe she was saying these things to her father, who was sure to have a heart attack by the end of all this. And now her nose was dripping, and she was in a horrendous state, and she hadn't even gotten the whole explanation out yet.

Her father pressed his handkerchief into her hand, which she accepted with gratitude. "Obviously that must have been a lie, but I didn't know, and it was so disgraceful I didn't know what to do," she said, blotting her face. "I knew that telling anyone would only serve to sully the family name, and I was scared for Anny," she ended in a sob.

Cygnus sighed resignedly, and finally stepped forward to hug her. Narcissa welcomed his embrace; she was relieved that he was willing to comfort her. "Daddy I'm so sorry, I was so brainless, I was just so scared..." He patted her back.

"Hush now, daughter," he said gently. "What's done is done."

"But..." she sniffled, pulling back, "What about Anny?"

Her father frowned deeply. "Andromeda has made her choice."

Narcissa's throat felt like it was closing up. "What does that mean?"

Cygnus paused a moment. "Any legitimate progeny of the House of Black is of pure magical breeding, Narcissa. You have been taught that since you were a little child."

She had prepared herself for this, but it still felt her heart was being ripped out. She felt her face contort unattractively in her effort to hold back a sob. "So that's it? She made her choice and that's it?" she sobbed.

Her father's expression was severe. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Cissy, but she was obstinate and unwilling to hear reason." He took a breath and prepared himself before saying, "We've cut her off, and you will not see her again. She was warned, and still she chose that filthy Mudblood scum over her own family. Do not pity her. She has brought this all upon herself."

Narcissa was overcome, or perhaps it was a symptom of eating basically nothing in the last four days, but she broke down crying and went weak in the knees. Cygnus quickly steadied her, and drew her close to comfort her again. Slowly she was able to calm herself, comforted by her father's arms, and when her breathing had grown steady again he patted her head. "Enough of this, now." His voice rumbled deep in his chest, just as she remembered from when he'd held her as a child. He released her, and she took a step back, wiping her eyes. "Why don't you freshen yourself up and then join your mother and I downstairs in the parlor. It's nearly noon. And Bellatrix will be here for luncheon," he added.

Narcissa wiped her eyes and nodded obediently, and her father departed the room.

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_**A/N: Sometimes, a fanfic just begs to be written. R&R, if you please. More to come.**_


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